Something Fishy

Writers: Curious, Miriah
Date Posted: 5th March 2022

Characters: Islyn, Prinna
Description: Prinna has an unpleasant encounter with Islyn.
Location: Sunstone Seahold
Date: month 13, day 15 of Turn 10

Rukbat was beaming down on Sunstone Seahold as Islyn made her way down to the docks. She wore a pale blue dress that, while still nice enough to be seen in, fell a few inches short of her ankles and had some visible wear and tear on it. That made it perfect for a trip down to a generally disgusting place where one false step could get it torn or covered in muck.

It was _unladylike_ to be wandering around the docks. Thankfully, it didn't count if you were a lady going down there to scold someone _else_ for being unladylike. She only had to take a few steps for her target to come into sight.

"_Prinna_," Islyn called out, voice containing a scathing note despite its sing-song note. "What are you doing down here? Couldn't resist the urge to get yourself covered in the stench of fish again?" As she spoke, she flipped a small blonde braid over her shoulder. There were two of them going down the front of either side of her hair, the rest of it left down and styled with a slight curl. It belatedly occurred to her that _maybe_ she should have pulled it up for a trip to the docks, but... Oh well. She couldn't very well backtrack when fish-girl had already seen her. She'd just have to be extra careful.

The slender dark girl looked up from the end of the dock, her face immediately setting into a wary, tense frown. "Go away, Islyn. I'm trying to..." She clamped her lips shut. What good would it do to explain or even reason with Islyn? She would _never_ understand. "Just leave me alone." She turned her back on the other girl, searching the water for just a fleeting glimpse of a smooth, rounded grey head. Hadn't she just seen one?

"You're _trying_ to get yourself into trouble," Islyn declared, placing her hands on her hips. "You should be glad I'm willing to look out for you. You'd bring yourself to ruination if left you your own devices."

She dropped her arms back down to her sides so that she could march closer to the Prinna. Once she was by her side, she glowered down at the water. "_Fish_. I don't understand what you find so fascinating about them."

She didn't bother to explain to Islyn that it wasn't 'fish' she was looking for. Instead, she sniffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "You're just being nosy. If _I'm_ going to be ruined, what are _you_ doing here?" She finally turned to look at the other girl with a scowl. "Going to tell the Headwoman again? I'll just tell her you were down here too."

Islyn raised an eyebrow. "You think that will matter? I came down here to make sure you aren't getting into trouble; you came down here to do Faranth-knows-what. The Headwoman isn't daft enough to think we're the same. Now, why don't you come back to the Hold and focus on doing something _palatable_ instead?"

She offered Prinna a bright smile, like she really was doing this for her own sake. Which she was! Sort of. The rush that came for correcting the errant girl's behavior was just a harmless bonus.

Prinna had had enough and whirled to stomp her foot at Islyn, frustrated at the bright smile and false concern. "I'm looking for dolphins! _DOLPHINS_ I'm not here to talk to anyone or join a ship or something! You're just nosy and you have a knitting needle stuck in your rump!"

"You _know_ that's even worse!" Islyn snapped, allowing her false smile to fall away. "Weird fish girls struggle to find husbands, but _dolphin girls_ run away to the Hall and end up cold, lonely, miserable spinsters! Is that what you want? To spend your life unloved because you spent all your time fussing over some oversized _fish_? Because that's where you're headed at this rate!" One of her hands clenched into a fist as she continued her rant. "And let me tell you, it's better to be nosy and have a future ahead of me than isolated and destined for failure!"

"It's better to be _weird_ and...and...productive than to be a snobby, arrogant brat who's going to do nothing but marry an old man that her father picks out for her!" Prinna shot back, her eyes moistening with tears. "I'd rather be a spinster than be anything like you! You're horrible, Islyn! Nobody even likes you here! You're never going to be anything but an old man's bedwarmer!"

"That shows how little you know!" Islyn spat. "I am a proper lady with a place in this Hold. A _future_. I will be no _bedwarmer_. When I marry, I will marry well, and if I don't?" An excited, hopeful gleam entered Islyn's eyes. "It will be because I was searched and become a _goldrider_." The gleam vanished as quickly as it came, leaving behind only the flickering flames of anger. "But you? You're tossing your life away. If you don't listen to me, you'll live a cold, lonely life chasing after your fish until some sort of avoidable disaster takes you from this world. Personally? I think you're going to drown." She paused for a moment, expression shifting into something if sheer condemnation and derision. "You're going to drown, Prinna. And unless you try to fix yourself while you still can, no one will mourn or miss you."

The gleam in her eye caught Prinna's attention, bringing a choked laugh that was barely held back from the tears that were already springing upwards. "You? A goldrider? I hope if you _do_ get Searched, you'll just get a green! And then you'll be in everyone's bed! Why would a dragon want someone as absolutely awful as you? I'd rather be chasing _fish_ than be around you for another moment! At least they're more intelligent and kind! And they serve a purpose! What do you do? Nothing but follow me around and be nosy!" Prinna moved to walk by Islyn, wiping her eyes and holding her head up.

"That shows what you know! I would _never_ impress a green!" Islyn spat. For a moment, raw, technicolor fury showed on her face. Then the instant passed and she smoothed it over in favor of a cruel smile. "But that's alright, Prinna. You just keep pining over your fish and trying not to cry." She reached out to brush a hand over her shoulder as she walked past her, back toward the Hold proper. "You'll see who comes out on top in the end."

"They're not FISH!" Prinna suddenly shrieked and not thinking, moved to shove Islyn off the dock and into the shallow, waist deep water beside the dock. "I hate you!" Horrified by what she had done, she stared at the other girl and ran towards the Hold as quickly as she could try to hide in her room before the Headwoman sought her out.

"PRINNA!" Islyn shrieked, falling back into the water with a mighty splash. There, she fumbled for a moment before finding her way back to her feet, clutching her sodden skirts and fuming. Oh, that beat would pay for this. She _would_ pay.

Last updated on the July 15th 2022

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Something Fishy